I personally believe that the great State of Virginia is missing an opportunity to lead our nation toward a balanced and reasonable commemoration of the upcoming 150th anniversary of the American Civil War.

By focusing on the Confederate-story exclusively in April, you ipso facto miss and exclude the story of the Virginia Unionists. One of the more significant Union Generals was from Virginia – George H. Thomas. His decision to fight for the Union split his own family terribly.

The appearance is that your decision to proclaim April in Virginia as “Confederate History Month” was a capitulation to the devisive neo-Confederate organization, the SCV.

You already wisely made one correction to your proclamation. Now make one more . . . change your proclamation for April to “Civil War History Month”. If the promotion of tourism is really a major objective with this proclamation, why would you exclude the Unionists and U.S. Colored Troops that fought for Virginia, but in Blue instead of Gray?

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About CWG

The Civil War Gazette (CWG) is published by Kraig McNutt, Director of The Center for the Study of the American Civil War. The CWG was first launched on to the World-wide Web in 1995.

The Civil War Gazette allows the first-hand participants - both common soldier and civilian - to tell the story of their experience of the Civil War from their perspective; through letters, diaries, newspapers articles, and other authentic first-hand accounts.

Many items posted to The Civil War Gazette often corresponds to the exact day the item was originally written during the Civil War. Think of The Civil War Gazette as the daily newspaper for all-things Civil War with accounts from those who experienced this great war as participants.

What can one find on the CWG?

Many original letters from soldiers, their loved ones, and excerpts from diaries and journals.

Excerpts and selections from period newspapers and popular print resources.

Poems and literary excerpts, many authored by the soldiers themselves.